Ratchet tool



Feb. 17, 1931. w. H. ARBOGAST RATCHET TOOL Filed Jan. 23, 1930 ATTORNEYJ Patented Feb. 17, 1931 r WILLIAM H. nanoen s'r, cardamom-wast? VIRGINIA; ASSIGNOR 'IO wINrRE'n MCELWEE, or 'DUNMORE, WEST VIRGINIA RATGHE'I moor Application med al-lama, i950. steam. 422,944. I This invention relates to tools,' and more denotes a bit stock orhandle having a screw. particularly to screw drivershavinga ratch- ClIlVeI shank '2 or other tool Inserted therein.

ct mechanism 'for'positively rotating the same The shanl; preferably formed flat onat in either direction. least two s ldesfor posltively engaging a My invention has for an'object-to 'proratchet member 3 slidable thereon, the aperk 55 vide a supplemental handle carried by the 't r 't r'wgh h i r h member hetool which constitutes an actuating'ineans for mg 5 rrespondingly Shaped. With respect, to

the tool for rotation in'either direction. h Shank 2L The ratchet member?) isprefer A further obj ect of the invention is to pro y Secured in a yl ndri al casing 5 which vide a construction wherehypositive rotai p or mp over at each id as at 60:

tion may loe imparted to the tool in either t0 I'et%1iI1 S d a h mmbertherein direction after merely pivoting the suppl'e- T E e al dl l etel Of the cylindricalca s-l mental handle to"eit he'r"side of the'tool'. g 18 fli l ntly great to permit free ro- The main feature of the invention resides tat-Ion of the casing with respect to the ratchin the formation of the supplemental handle 815 member If desired, Washers 7 may h 65 i so that the saidhaiidl constitutes the pawl Placed lIeaCh side of h ratchet m m or actuating member of the ratchet mechabetween h d atc tmemb and h p nism for permitting positive rotation 'in edges 0f the 3 g. either direction I Y The ratchetmember is providedwith trans- Another O ject O'ftheifiventiOn is to'p'ro-f Slots Channels )8 which are adapted 70 I vide a means for holding the'supplemental to he e e by the su p rsh p handle ininop'erative position when desired handle p t l in the Casing 5 by means to use the tool as anordinary'screw driver. of h r l'y n ing 1d PQI'tiOIIS 10 Other and further objects'a'nd advantages and d p d fi in the apertures 12 of the invention will he hereinafter set-forth formed t a y pp eachiothel n and the novel features thereofdefined 'by' the a mgh 61 d portion 10 terminates h appended claimst flush with the Inter 1hr surface of the casing In h d i I whereas the end portlon l1 isformed witha Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation of the r001- proiectlon l gg n i n d ac 14 and showing the supplemental handle'in inopf p Q X dlh e g e formed 80 ti iti I 1n the rat-chet'memloer 3. I p I Fig. 2 is a verticalelevationatright angles Obvwusly, 'p a t i n will to the position in Fig. 1, the clotted lines parted to h o o direction y p v I showing the supplemental handle in operag the pp t handle toward 6 ide fi Position; v a of the t'o0l,"as shown by thefull lines in Fig. 85

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectionalff a @1161 g ln'g e id supplemental handle view taken'on line 3'3 of FigL Q; I 70111361571011}; h inclined face f t V Fi 4 i a f a m t y hfi' g fal projection 13 causnigthe supplemental han-V I ti l i tak on li fFig' 3 th dle to spread apart and ride over the ratchet 10 supplemental handle being shown'in "full member when the handle is rotated in the 90 lines for impartingfrotation ino'ne direction pp s e d re t he pp e tal h nand in dotted lines for imparting rotation in dl s l s fli e t y reslhent to permit, this a the opposite direction; 1 spreading action. Pivoting the supplemen- Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one tal handle in the opposite direction, as shown form ofjthe ratchetme'mber to be engaged by' in dotted lines in l ig. 4, will disposetthein- 9 5" the supplemental handle; and" I V clined face'lt'oppositely with respect to the Fig. 6 is a modified fornrofratchetmerry 'ratchetmember 3 and positive rotation may ber. g fthenjh'e;effectedinlthe oppositedirectionfrom I 7 Like numerals refer to like pa rts iih the "that'prcviQusly mentioned During opera several figures bfthe drawings, in which-'1 tion of the tool, one hand of the operator steadies the tool by means of the stock or handle 1, while the said tool is actuated by the supplemental handle 9 manipulated by the other hand.

The handle 1 is preferably formed flat on two sides to permit the U-shaped supplemental handle 9 to be swung into alignment with the axis of the tool and seated in a groove 15 where it is caused to be held in inoperative position under the influence of a spring 16 surrounding the tool shank '2 between the end of the handle 1 and the ratchet mechanism. Obviously, any suitable means for securing the supplemental handle in inoperative position might be employed, and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular groove and spring means as shown in the drawings.

The shank 2 of the tool is preferably formed uniformly in shape well down to the working end to permit the supplemental handle and ratchet mechanism to be positioned at any point along the shank during operation of the tool by the same, in order to obtain the desired purchase. This also permits the supplemental handle to be swung downwardly and over to the opposite side of the tool shank for reversing the positive action of the said supplemental handle.

The modified form of ratchet member 3 as shown in Fig. 6, formed with the aperture 1 in the center thereof to fit the tool shank and having spaced apertures 8 extending into the same around the periphery thereof, may be employed in lieu of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

The supplemental handle may be entirely removed from the tool when desired by merely spreading the same apart and causing the inwardly extending end portions to be withdrawn from the ratchet mechanism.

The operation of my invention is obvious from the foregoing description and may be briefly summarized as follows:

The supplemental handle 9 is disengaged from the groove formed in the tool handle 1 and pivoted to one side of the tool, whereupon the tool is placed on the work and steadied by the handle 1 while actuated by the supplemental handle which permits of rotation of the tool in one direction in short or long strokes as desired by virtue of the ratchet mechanism. To impart positive rotation in the opposite direction, it is only necessary to pivot the supplemental handle to the other side of the tool. By pivoting the supplemental handle into alignment with the axis of the tool, and seating the same in the groove extending across the top of the handle, the tool may be used in the ordinary manner, or the supplemental handle may be entirely removed if desired.

The supplemental handle may be used merely as a guide for the tool as well as for an actuating means for the tool. For example, with the supplemental handle disposed as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, the end of the tool may be engaged with the screw, bolt, or the like, and the tool manipulated in the ordinary manner by means of the handle 1 the supplemental handle being held in one position on the particular side of the tool which permits free operation of the same by the tool handle 1, the inclined face 14 riding over the ratchet member. use of the supplemental handle as a guide for the tool has considerable merit, as it is often difiicult to keep a screw driver on the screw head during manipulation of the screw driver.

While the specific details of construction have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle, a tool carried thereby, ratchet means, and a supplemental handle constituting a reversible pawl for said ratchet means for rotating said tool in either direction.

2. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle, a tool carried thereby, ratchet means slidable on said tool, said ratchet means comprising an enclosing casing having a rotatable ratchet member positioned therein, and a supplemental handle pivoted to said casing and constituting a pawl for said ratchet means.

3. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle, a tool carried thereby, ratchet means longitudinally adjustable on said tool, said ratchet means including a supplemental handle constituting a pawl for said ratchet means, and means for retaining said supplemental handle in inoperative position.

4. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle, a tool carried thereby, ratchet means slidable on said tool, said ratchet means including a casing, a ratchet member rotatably carried thereby and having pawl engaging means, a supplemental handle having inwardly extending end portions engaging the said casing for pivotally connecting the said supplemental handle thereto, and a-projection having an inclined face formed on one of said end portions and constituting a pawl for said ratchet member, said supplemental handle being adapted to permit positive rotation of the said tool in one direction when the supplemental handle is pivoted to one side of said tool and in the opposite direction when pivoted to the other side of said tool.

5. A ratchet tool of the class described com- Such K means prising a handle, a tool carried thereby, and ratchet means longitudinally slidable on said tool, said ratchet means including a supplemental handle, means for pivoting said supplemental handle, and anintegral extension on said pivoting means, said extension constituting a reversible pawl for permitting positive rotation of the tool in either direction by the said supplemental handle incident to pivoting of the same.

6. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle having a transverse groove in one end thereof, a tool carried by said handle, ratchet means carried by the said tool for permitting rotation of the tool in either direction, said ratchet means including a pivotal U-shaped supplemental handle adapted to pivot to extend in alignment With the axis of the tool and seat in said transverse groove when in inoperative position, and means intermediate the first mentioned handle and ratchet means forretaining the supplemental handle in said inoperative position.

7 A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle having a transverse groove in one end thereof, a tool carried by said handle, ratchet means carried by the said tool for permitting rotation of the tool in either direction, said ratchet means including a pivotal U-shaped supplemental handle adapted to pivot to extend in alignment with the axis of the tool and seat in said transverse groove when in inoperative position, and intermediate the first mentioned handle and ratchet means for retaining the supplemental handle in said inoperative position, said means constituting a helical spring.

8. A ratchet tool of the class described comprising a handle, a tool extending therefrom, ratchet means longitudinally adjustable on said tool, said ratchet means comprising a cylindrical casing, a ratchet member rotatable in said casing, said ratchet member positively engaging said tool, a resilient U-shaped supplemental handle pivoted to said casing at diametrically opposite points, and a projection formed on said supplemental handle in axial alignment with said pivot points, said projection constituting a reversible pawl for said ratchet means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. ARBOGAST. 

